Lesley Campbell was born in Glasgow, earned a BSc in zoology
from Aberdeen College, and has spent her working career managing
creative people, first in advertising, then in television.
She was head of marketing for the Asia Pacific region for
Discovery Channel where she launched Discovery Travel &
Living. In 2003, Lesley launched Cempaka, a new company which
she now manages with a team of capable and talented young
Indonesian interior designers.
How did you first get interested in Indonesia?
It was on a children’s TV program in the UK called Blue
Peter in the 70s and 80s when I first heard of Indonesia.
They were filming an episode in Indonesia. My husband’s
parents lived in Jakarta for many years and when we started
dating I made my first trip to Indonesia in 1987. I loved
the country from the very start.
When did you first visit Bali?
In 1989 my husband (then my boyfriend) and I toured all over
the island on a motorbike. Our love for each other and for
Bali began from that time.
What is your professional background?
My last corporate job was with Discovery Networks Asia as
Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. I left
in 2002 to set up my own marketing consultancy business and
have since worked with National Geographic, Garuda Indonesia,
CNBC and MGM to name only a few of my clients. I decided to
join my husband and help expand the business late in 2005
and that was when we decided to move to Bali permanently.
How did you get interested in Asian home wares?
My husband started Cempaka three years ago exporting Asian
home wares and accessories back to the UK. The business has
grown since then and we now offer full service interior and
furniture design for retail, private villas and boutique hotels
all over the world.
How did Bali ever develop such a unique interior design industry?
Where does the appeal lie?
Bali is unique in the intrinsic creativity that lies at the
heart of even the simplest offerings. The Balinese themselves
have a great sense of the aesthetic and I think creative people
from all over the world, whether designers, film makers or
painters, are moved to create by Bali’s unique atmosphere
and lifestyle.
How are Balinese home wares different from those found in
other Asian countries?
I think Balinese home wares have had an enormous influence
on design throughout South East Asia. The key issue now is
how to keep creating new ideas and designs and how to find
new inspiration from the traditional craftsman and artisans
in Bali and the rest of Indonesia.
How much of Balinese home crafts are of original Balinese
design and how much has been created by non-Balinese from
local materials for commercial purposes?
There are certainly many talented non-Balinese designers in
Bali who use local materials in their work. At Cempaka we
like to mix contemporary and traditional styles - mixing contemporary
furniture and accessories that are designed by our Indonesian
in-house designers with original antiques and object d’art
from Bali and Indonesia.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of Balinese craftsmen?
How do the end products compare in quality and durability
with, say, those produced in China and Thailand?
In order to compete at an international level quality control
is paramount. I am constantly amazed by how creative the craftsmen
are here and the pride that they take in the finished product.
Having said that the international market place demands high,
and even more importantly, consistent quality. I believe quality
control isall-important if Bali is to successfully market
the “Bali Style” around the world. Bali cannot
compete with China on costs and volumes, so they must do so
based on excellence of design, innovative use of materials
and quality of the craftsmanship in order to command higher
prices in the international markets.
As a business owner selling products internationally, what
are the advantages and disadvantages of basing a business
on Bali?
The advantages are too many to list. The major disadvantage
used to be the communications infrastructure but the with
new broadband service being offered and low cost freight carriers
flying to Bali this is no longer the case.
Are you optimistic about the future of small manufacturing
and the interior design industry on Bali?
I am very optimistic about the future of the design business
in Bali. I think the industry needs to look for customers
outside of Bali and cultivate relationships that are sustainable
and profitable. I would like to see the government help promote
“Bali Style” at the key international furniture
and design shows around the world. This would give smaller
players the opportunity to reach global markets.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa
at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
